Ok, here's an idea. How about we start a singular, uniform thread, like Tiki Finds, or, heck, even a new Forum category for everyone to post their "Help Identify", "What is This?, "Is This A...?" posts. The reason I am suggesting this is that a quick review of the current Collecting Tiki front page shows the following threads:

Help! Hawaiian wood carved wall hangings.
Is this a Paul Fujimoto tiki carving?
Help on this Hawaiian Art
any info on this guy
Another what is it post
anyone know anything about this?
What is this
Is this an Otagiri skull mug?
Please identify this mug!

I must say that this trend is symptomatic of the Tiki Central decline. No research, no thought, no cross-references. Just "look what I found and tell me WTF it is and how much it might be worth." I have put a lot of time into this Tiki deal and must confess this continued uninspired level of thought and participation is just grinding on me.

Next time you post one of these, you have to ask yourself: "What would Sabu Do?"

I was thinking about posting a thread about pretty much the same thing about a week or so ago but couldn't think of what to call it and also thought by doing so i would only add to the pointless* threads already so i'm glad that you did Dustycajun, you can wear this one. But having said that i'm glad you did as it is an issue the really needs to be addressed.

*It's not pointless at all, just one that is really only a ranting thread that has nothing to do with Tiki, although it is about making TC more enjoyable so it's not necessarily a rant at all.

Quote:

On 2012-06-26 00:35, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:

It makes me wonder why some people come here, Is it for the wonderful world of Tiki?
Or is it to make a quick buck with out even doing the footwork.

We live in a very lazy, Self serving Society which is becoming more ignorant by the second.

ATP has pretty much nailed it. I left a comment on another thread, i cant remember where, where a newbies first post was nothing more than asking the value of the particular item they had come across. In that comment i mentioned that a particular members (who i won't name) only posts in this forum are to announce their latest painting that is for sale on eBay. A new post just went up recently saying the exact same thing, that they had a new painting available. Instead of adding it to their original post and changing or adding the date to the title they start a new one and just add to the clutter that is filling up the pages in every category on this forum.

Quite a few months ago now a member had bumped an old topic and said that just about everything you can think of has been discussed here on TC at some point. I cannot for the life of me remember who, or what the topic was but i must say i was quite impressed by both the comment and the thread, and also how old the thread was but was still relevant to topics being raised now. Had the forum not been clogged up with rubbish that particular thread might be one that popped up far more regularly which members could add to as opposed to starting new ones.

Below are just a couple of things that i personally think the moderators should look at implementing to make this site, not only more user friendly, but also more enjoyable by stopping all the needless threads started by those too lazy to use the search function. Now i know that there will be people who do not agree with some of my ideas and also that they may not work as i'm suggesting, but maybe the basis of what i'm getting at can be expanded/altered. Also, i am far, far from a computer whiz so there is a good chance that my suggestions are not possible with the format that TC runs on, but here goes.

1) No new members can post without posting in the 'Introductions. New members post here' thread first.

2) The 'Introductions. New members post here' should be locked in as the very first thread.

3) New members cannot sell in Market Place without a minimum of 10 posts. (I'm sure i'll get some backlash from that one.)

4) A thread along the lines of what Dustycajun is suggesting should be started and locked in as the very first thread.

And finally,

5) All new threads, not just by newbies but all members, should be put in for submission and approved before going 'live'.

As an example, a member submits a proposal for a new thread. The moderator assesses the said thread and either agrees that the thread has not been covered before and is valid and approves it, or informs the member of which category/thread it belongs in and moves it there themselves.

Now i know that this last one is probably completely impracticable as it is something that would consume a huge amount of the moderators time but it is probably the only way of fixing the biggest issue of threads being started which could easily fit into an existing topic or threads being posted in the wrong category. Unless it is done that way i cannot see this issue going away. It's just something annoys the crap out of some people, myself included, but we just have to deal with it.

Sadly Dusty although I whole heartedly agree with your idea it won't fly. Wayyyyyy too many members --new and old--want their item(s) featured in a thread asking what it is. It doesn't seem that even the older members who have been on these boards for years are able to post in ways that don't clog boards--always starting a new thread to talk about the same show that they already talked about in another thread, a new thread to showcase another new item they have made instead of adding to a thread already showcasing their work, etc...

Would be nice if people used some sort of common sense instead of relying on a need to see themselves type but I highly doubt it will work.

On 2012-06-26 00:03, Dustycajun wrote:Ok, here's an idea. How about we start a singular, uniform thread, like Tiki Finds, or, heck, even a new Forum category for everyone to post their "Help Identify", "What is This?, "Is This A...?" posts.
DC

You should use the search function before you start a new thread like this. This topic was covered most recently in this thread:

I do think the above suggestions are great - especially locking important topics, such as Tiki finds, at the top of the page.

What about converting some of the content to a wikipedia style system? The Honda Spree forum did that a while back because there were hundreds of "How to Rebuild a carb/How do I rebuild this carb" posts that were consolidated down to moderated single posts (for example "The Complete Guide to Rebuilding Carbs.") Location threads lend themselves to this. This, of course, would take a lot of work and as such I offer no support.

How about this, no one can start a new thread unless they are a grand member?
It would at least make marketers pay for the info they seek.
I swear at one time you needed to have a set amount of posts to start a thread but I guess that's pointless when you can throw up a couple hundred posts of "bump" ,"I like", "cool!", "want one" and the like.
As to having the moderators go through each new submission before posting, it seems to me that these folks are giving us a part of their lives for this site and do we really need to ask them to give more so we don't have to be tempted to click on another "what's this" thread?
As to the Fujimoto thread, to which I recently added a post, this was an old thread started by Keigs, a knowledgable craver himself, which became "the" thread about Fujimotos' carving and isn't that what TC is about? Identifying the creations and creators or this style that we love called tiki?

On 2012-06-26 23:37, tikicoma wrote:As to the Fujimoto thread, to which I recently added a post, this was an old thread started by Keigs, a knowledgable craver himself, which became "the" thread about Fujimotos' carving and isn't that what TC is about? Identifying the creations and creators or this style that we love called tiki?

that's all ya'll. aloha, tikicoma

Thats the reason I started to consolidate the stray Fujimoto posts to that
one too Aloha, Freddie

Well, as a newer member of this fine website establishment, I agree with DC. After getting an indirect "scolding" ( I deserved it!) because of NOT using the search function, I had a new found respect for this forum and it's wonderful contributors. But, as sad as it may seem, not all people joining here will use it (search) , so-- it looks as if there is a need for a Q&A thread for finds of those who want a "quick-fix." I just hope the people who are going to post there (Q&A Thread if created..)are being true blue collectors and lovers of tiki-- not just blatant profiteers. Just my 2¢...

While I see the big picture of what you are complaining about here (and in other threads over the last month)...why lump my Topic in this? I understand you're trying to prove your point but my post doesnt deserve this.
I've collected over 15 years, I bought something I couldn't identify. I searched for 3 days, here google, books, catalogs... Then finally posted and asked. I even stated that I searched first and came up empty. Took 2 days to get a helpful response (in other words, not a comon item).

So in future rants, please exclude my topic from your list. because... sorry if it sounds harsh but I too have "I have put a lot of time into this Tiki deal" and "uninspired level of thought and participation" grinds on me too.

That's a good one Buzzy. That thread, however, is for tiki/oceanic artifacts, whereas the thread I was proposing would be for stuff like these recent items:

Also, it doesn't have the right title.

Quote:

On 2012-06-27 16:26, ErichTroudt wrote:DC,

While I see the big picture of what you are complaining about here (and in other threads over the last month)...why lump my Topic in this? I understand you're trying to prove your point but my post doesn't deserve this.

Thanks

Erich,

I merely listed all of the "What is this?" type of threads that were on the front page of Collecting Tiki forum. I was not trying to single you or any one else out. My point is rather than have 20 different posts asking "What is This?" why not create one thread where you can post your mystery item and get input (and maybe also to encourage peoople to do some research before asking, which you clearly did).

It seems as though we need to have this discussion more often these days with the growing number of new members and the ever increasing number of new posts related to the find of a single Tiki-related object.

... rather than have 20 different posts asking "What is This?" why not create one thread where you can post your mystery item and get input (and maybe also to encourage peoople to do some research before asking, which you clearly did).

...

Agreed.

Something is in the works. Details as far as how we will use a "sticky' post are being hammered out. Stay tuned...

So this "What is this tiki?" thread is off to a great off topic start already! Glad this was all done in an attempt to "fix" TC...

Maybe the title of this thread should be changed to "Why I think TC sucks right now and what I think needs to be done to "fix" it", and then moved to the appropriate forum subsection, out of Collecting.

Is the continuing off topic bitchfest here just as determental to the overall cohesion of TC as all the redundant new threads are?